Combination igniter and fuel injector for diesel-type engines



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JWWARI)- L. KASTLER, O F STOCXTON, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR, OF ONE-HALF T HARRY G. FA'WCETT, OF STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA.

COMBINATION IGNI'IER 'AND FUEL INJEGTOR FOR DIESEL-TYPE ENGINES.

1,41-1i1os.

specification of internment. A Patented Mar, 28, 1922 Application tiled April 12, 1920. Serial No. 373,437.

To all wlwm it may cof/neemt.

Be it known that I, EDWARD L. KAs'rLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Stockton, in the county 'of San Joaquin,

' ing to be a full, clear, and exact descripbe consumed in the main air tion of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, andI tothe characters of references marked thereon,-

which form a part of this application.

The principal object of this invention is to produce a fuel-injection device which will start high compression engines instantly from' the cold condition, Without requirement of external preheating devices, compressed air tanks, or any other auxiliary systems.

This invention provides means for the inv jgction of fuel into working cylinders of iesel engines and others of similar type, after the fuel has been measured in a separate fuel-meteringchamber built into` the cylinder head of the'engine. This fuelmetering chamber'is so designed, that a small preliminary explosion will be produced therein by the heat generated by the action of a small high compression cylinder which communicates with the fuel-metering chamber. The reliminaryA explosion in the fuelmetering chamber will exhaust into the main combustion chamber `of the y engine, through an automatic valve, thereby projecting with it, the necessary fuel supply which will supply Within the working cylinder of theengine.

By these means, temporarily relieve the high compression 1n the Working cylinders during the starting period. It is thus made possible to start engines of large proportions by means of man ower, instead of by cumbersome and comp icated auxiliary systems.

A further object of this invention is to provide for fuel injection in a highly atomized state, in the form of aconical sheet from a source which is as nearly centrally located in the combustion chamber as possible. This'arrangement will hasten it is made possible to.

flame propagation, and will yavoid injurious condensation of unburned fuel upon the water-cooled surfaces of the combustion chamber.

To provide for continuous operation of this device, all working parts ma be enclosed in a single casing, by so designing the cylinder head to provide side walls to surround all the various working parts. A removable top cover plate .may be provided, to make all parts readily accessible for adjustment. By this means, all working parts will be operated in a bath ofy oil, and all 'parts will be thoroughly protectedv from dust and dirt.

A further object of the invention is to `produce a simple and inexpensive device,

and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purposes for which it is de signed. i

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure andrelative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

The figure on the drawing isa vertical section of my igniter and fuel injector installed in an engine cylinder.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the numeral l denotes a casing in the form of a tapered lug seated in the cylinder head 2 and firm r secured therein by lany suitable means.

A vertical bore 3l is provided in the casing in which slides a sleeve 4 having'vertical peripheral air passages 5 extending from its upper end to a tapered head 6 at its lower end, thus forming a valve which is adapted to seat upwardly against a seatY 7 in the casing to normally shut off communication with the atmosphere to a small against its seat 12 in the casing and against lower end ofthe bore 16 to aI downward movement by means of a spring the stem, and approximately ush with the bottom of the chamber 8.

To one side of the bo1e3 is a substantially vertical bore 16 adaptedto be connected to a source of fuel sup ly.

A relatively smal hole 17 leads from the point midway in the hei ht of the 'valve seat 7` in the casing, and normally held closed by the valve 6. A needley valve 18 is positionedin the bore 16 and normally permits of com-A munication between the same and the orifice 17, being kept from closure by'means of a spring 19 operatively connected to the` upperl end of the valve. The valve-open. ing action of the spring is restrained and the valve controlled by an arm 20 bearing on the upper end of the valve, this arm being mounted on a turnable shaft 21 adapted to be turned by the governor of the engine, to open or close the Valve.

On the oppos1te side of the bore 3 from vertical bore 23 preferably fitted with a bushing or sleeve 24 extending l'efull length of said bore and for a certain distance thereabove. In this bushing is mounted a plunger 25, accurately fitted against leakage' of air therebetween. This plunger is normally held in an upward position relativeto the bushing by means of a springr 26. A hole 27 leads from the lower end of the bore 23, to the chamber 8 and communicates therewith at all times.

Bearing against a head 28 on the lunger 25 is one end of a rocker arm 29 to the cylinder head 2. A control arm 32 is fixed on the shaft 30 inside the casing adapted to be engaged by a cam 33 on a shaft 34 journaled in the casing 31 under the shaft 30 'and operatively connectedvto the crankshaft of the engine to turn at half or the same speed thereas, depending on whether' the engine is of the four or two cycle ty e.

ilhis cam is concentric'with the shaft 34 for the greater portion of its periphery, in 'which case the arm 32 will ride thereon and the arm 29 will be held against movement. In order to provide freedom of movement of the rocker arm at a predetermined period in the rotation of the cam, the latter has a portion thereof cut away substantially concentric with the shaft 30, as shown at 35,

the radius of this portion being greater than the radial length of the arm 32.

- The outer end of therocker 29 beyond its pivotal shaft 30 is normally pressed upxed onvv a shaft 30 journaled in a casing 31 secured ing the rocker arm 29 from the =venting any more of either from wards by a strong compression spring 36 bearing thereagainst and seated on a bracket 37 fixed to the cylinder-2. l

The operation of the device is as fol-A lows v Presume that the engine is being turned over and the piston in the cylinder 'is about Aat the upper end of its compression stroke,

and ready to be fired.

-In vthis .position the shaft 34 will have been rotated so that the control arm 32 is about to leave the cam', or in other words, to be tripped as shown on the drawing.

When this takes place, that is, when the arm 32 is free to move inthe cut-away por tion of the cam 33, the spring 36 is free to exert its pressure upwardly, thus causing a vsudden downward movement of the other end ofthe rocker arm; which bearing on the plunger y25, causes the latter to descend in the bushing 24, thus highly compressing the air therein, the' strength of the spring 36 being sufficient to withstand and overcome the compression formed in the bushing by the descent of the plunger.

Previous to this, a charge of fuel has been drawn into the chamber 8, as will be l hereinaftershown. the needle valve mechanlsm 1s a substantlally The heat engendered by the compression of air caused by the descent of the plunger, ignites this charge and while the compressive force in the c amber prior to ignition is not sufficient to 'overcome the resistance of the springl13 holding the valve 11 closed, as soon ast e fuel is ignited, the temperature of course rises still higher, thereby adding materially to the ressurein the chamber 8.1]The lgnited charge of course tends to ex and if possible, and so pressing against the olzlder 15 of the valve'll, the latter is forced fopen; admitting the burning charge into' 'the c'ylindj'er.

This .'b carries with it. v:an-excess of consumed in- .the main air power cylinder. As soon as they force of this charge in thechamber 8 is exceeded by the explosive force within the cylinder 2, the valve 11 `automatically closes.

Wlth the further rotation of thefshaft 34, the cam 33 again engages the arm 32, rais- I lunger 25, and permitting the latter to wlthdraw in its sleeve. `This movement of the plunger creates a tendency to vacuum in the sleeve 24 below the plunger, andin the chamber 8; This causes the valve 6 to open down'v wardly, thus not only admitting air to the chamber 8, but drawing in "a fresh charge of fuelthrough the hole 17 past the needle valve 18. When the pressurein the chamber 8 1s nearly that of the atmosphere, the valve 6 automatically closes by reason of the spring 9, thus confining the air and fuel, and preentering. 33 to the urning chargeI fuel which is supply in' the With the rotation of the cam for Diesel-type engines,

point of release of the arm 32, this charge and the air therewith are compressed an ignited, as first described.

From the foregoing description, it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the object of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferredl construction of the device, still .in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted tofas do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, .as defined by the appended claims.

Having I claim as new cure by Letters Patent is ,v

1. A combination igniter and fuel injector for Diesel-type engines, comprising a casing fitted in the engine-cylinder, a valve therein adapted to open inwardly into the cylinder and normally held closed, the valve being provided with a stem projecting freely through a bore provided in the casing, another valve slidably mounted in the bore an surrounding the stem of the first named valve, and opening toward the same but normally held closed, the adjacent faces o valves being normally spaced apart to form a chamber therebetween, a with the last named valve slidable in the bore andon the stem and provided with longitudinal air dpassages in its outer periphery, a fuel passage communicating wit the seat of the second named valve, a bore in the casing communicating with the chamber, and a plunger slidably mounted in the bore and arranged for reciprocatory movement at predetermined periods.

2. -A combination igniter and fuel injector for Diesel-type engines, comprising a casing, fitted in the cylinder of the engine, a rvalve therein adapted to open inwardly into the cylinder and normally held closed, air and fuel passage means in the casing, means for introducing the complete charge of fuel and thus described my invention what and useful and desire to sea certain amount of air therefrom into thel casing above the valve and surrounding the same, and means to one side of. said air and fuel passages and the valve for firing said charge while in the casing, whereby the valve will be opened and the ignited charge will pass' into the cylinder.

3. A combination igniter and fuel injector comprising a casing, fitted in the cylinder of the engine, a valve therein adapted to open inwardly into the cylinder and normally held closed, air and fuel passage means in the casing, means for introducing the complete charge of fuel and a certain amount of air therefrom into the casing above the valve and surrounding the same, and means to one side of said air and fuelpassages and the valve for automatically compressing the same and raising eration of the engine.

the cylinder and f the sleeve formed l the temperature thereof to the ignition point at a predetermined time inthe cycles of op- 4. A combination igniter and fuel injector for Diesel-type engines, comprising a casing, fitted in the cylinder of the engine. a valve therein adapted to open inwardly into normally held closed, a chamber in thel casingy above the valve, the latter forming one side of the chamber, a bore in the casing communicatingwith the chamber, a plunger in the bore, arranged for reciprocating motion therein, a valve actuated bythe movement of the plunger away from the chamber for admitting air and fuel thereto, and a spring for normally holding said valve closed, whereby the fuel mixture is confined in the chamber and ignited by the heat of compression engendered by the movement of the plunger toward the chamber.

5. A combination igniter and fuel injector for Diesel-type engines, comprising a casing,

fitted in the cylinder of the engine, a valve to open inwardly into the cylinder and normally held close a chamber in the casing 4above the valve, the latter forming one side of the chamber, a bore in the casing communicating with the chamber, a plunger in the bore, an automat.- ically operated valve to admit air and fuel into the chamber, a spring normally holding the plunger at the opposite end of the bore from the chamber, a rocker arm pivotally mounted' and bearing at one end on the plunger, a relativel strong spring connected to the other end or the rocker arm to press the plunger into the bore against the pressure of the plungerfspring, and means for holding the rocker arm against movement during a therein adapted predetermined period in the cycles of opera:l

tion of the engine.

6. A combination igniter and fuel injector for Diesel-type engines, comprising a casing, fitted in the cylinder of the engine, a valve therein adapted to open inwardly into the cylinder and ber in the casin above the valve, the latter formin one si e of thechamber, a bore in the casing communicating with the chamber, a plunger in the bore, an automatically operated valve to admit air and fuel into the chamber, a spring normally holding the plunger at the oppos' te end of the bore fromV` the chamber, a rocker arm pivotally mounted and bearing at one end on the plunger, a relatively strong spring connected to vthe other end of the arm to press the plunger into the bore against the pressure of the plunger spring, and means operated in connection with the crank shaft of the engine for holding the rocker arm against movement d1 ring a 'predetermined period in the' rotation of the crank shaft,

normally `heldclosed, a cham- 4, 1,411,108 y u f `jector for Diesel-type engines including a rocker arm axially thereof,J and a cam driven plunger arranged for lreciprocatory move- .by the engine engaging said control arm and ment, a spring acting to hold the plunger in arranged to allow the rocker arm to be moved 25 a predetermined position, a pivotally mountby the spring bearing thereagainst only for 5 ed rocker arm bearing at one end on the a predetermined period in the cycles of op-y plunger, a strong spring acting on the other eration of the engine. end of the arm to cause the saine to press on 9. In a combination igniter and Ifuel inthe plunger against the pressure ofv the jector, for iesel-type'engines including a 30 plunger-spring, and means for positively plunger arranged for reciprocatory move- 10 holding the rocker l'arm against any movement, a spring actingto hold. the plunger in ment during a predetermined period in the a predetermined position, a pivotally mountcycles of'operationof thee gine. ed rocker arm bearing' at one end on the 8. In a combination igniter and fuel inplunger, a strong spring acting on the other 35 jector for Diesel-type engines including a end-of the arm to cause the same to press on 15 plunger varranged for reciprooatory movethe plunger against the pressure of the l ment, a spring acting yto hold the plunger plunger-spring, but normally held against in. a predetermined position, a pivotally action, and a common means for allowing mounted rocker arm bearing at one end on thespring to so act and to then positively 40 the plunger, a strong spring racting on the return the rocker arm to its normal position 20 other end of the arm cause the same to press and hOld it aglIlSt IlIlClGSlId mOvement.

on" the plunger against 'the pressure of the In testimOIlV WheleOfI fX my Signatur@- plunger-spring, a control-arm fixed to the EDWARD L. KASTLER. 

